Means for forming joints.



H. W. JACOBS.

MEANS FOR FORMING JOINTS.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.24. 191

998,904, Patented July 25,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. W. JACOBS.

MEANS FOR FORMING JOINTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24. 1911.

Patented July 25, 1911.

2 SHBETSSHBET 2.

me y HENRY W. JACOBS, 0F TOPEKA, KANSAS.

MEANS FOR FORMING JOINTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1911.

Application filed January 24, 1911. Serial No. 6l)4,373.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY W. JAcoBs, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Topeka, in the county of Shawnee and State of Kansas, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Means for FormingJoints, of which the following is a description, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, which form a part of my specification.

My invention relates to means for forming a strong but light connectionfor tubing, spars, beams, and the like, whereby the splices or othermethods of joining the parts together will be made secure, and thetubing, spars, beams, and the like, will be securely held in properalinementor relation.

The object of my invention is to provide means which may be easily andquickly assembled and taken apart, so that the desired relation of theparts or frame members, to be secured together by said means, may bereadily brought about and the same as quickly disarranged or disjointed.

A further object of my invention is to provide a joint or connection fortubing or spars, particularly such as are used in the construction ofaerial craft, automobiles, bicycles, motor cycles, and the like, whichwill obviate the necessity for the use of nails, screws, rivets, orbolts passing through or taking into the tubing, spars, or frame-membersthat are secured together by my imroved means, as will more fully appearfrom the following detailed description.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a plan view of one form of my improvedmeans, some-v what in the nature of a rosette connection,

-.whereby four separate members or tubes are shown connected up in aselected manner; a part of the means being broken away, with a portionof the tubes shown in section, in order to more clearlyillustrate theinternal construction of the joint. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional viewtaken on the line aa of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of my invention in which theends of two truss? frame-members are shown with a} portion of the framemembers and ferrule shown in' section, and a portion of the means brokenaway. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a ferrule, which may be employed informing a connection between tubular frame-members as illustrated inFig. 2. Fig. 5 is an end View of the ferrule illustrated in Fig. 4:

is usual with methods heretofore employed,

which would tend to Weaken the respective members perforated thereby.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown tubing 1, 2, 3, and 4, provided withferrules 5, 6, 7

and 8, preferably inserted within the ends of the tubing and secured inplace in any suitable manner, as for example, by brazing, soldering,riveting or otherwise. The outer ends of the ferrules are provided withthe semi-circular flange or rib 9. Connecting or clamping members 10 and11, having corresponding faces, are each provided with the abuttingportion or hub 10? and 11*, through which the bolt 12 is adapted topass. The members 10 and 11 are provided with the radiating portions orramifications 10 and 11", extending outward from the abutting or hubportions 10 and 11 in a predetermined manner to adapt the clampingmembers to the connection or joint it is desired to make; that is, theportions 10 and 11 are formed to extend from the intermediate orabutting portions 10 and 11 in the direction that the respectivemembers, it is intended to clamp together, extend. The members orportions 10 and 11?, in the examples illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, areformed semi-circular in cross section, in order to have them conformwith the shape of the tubular frame-members it is intended to jointogether; each radiating arm, or member 10 and 11 is preferably providedwith a groove on its inner face to receive the semi-circular flange orrib 9, or a transversely extending shoulder or rib as at 9, to takeagainst the rib ,9, of the ferrules,

thereby. preventing the longitudinal or outward movement of the membersin the respective 'hifurcations or arms of the members 10 and 11, as isclearly evident from the construction illustrated. Where a number ofportions 10 and 11 are used, I prefer to provide an intermediate webportion 13, through which an additional clam ing bolt 14- may pass,whereby the respective members are more firmly secured or clamped to-.

gether after the bolt 12 has been firmly set. By forming the arms orportions 10 and 11 of considerable length, it will be seen that longsockets are thereby provided for the ends of the respective members, itis 1ntended to clamp together, thus enabling the respective framemembers to be rigidly secured and held in perfect alinement or relation.

It is apparent from the construction shown and described that very rigidand effective joints can be obtained which may at the same time bereadily disconnected or broken by simply removing bolts 12 and 14,thereby permitting the frame-members or structure to be easily andquickly taken apart.

The tubular frame-members 1, 2, 3, and 4, shown in Figs. 1 and 2, havebeen shown of elliptical or theta shape, provided with a reinforcing webfor bridge 15, extending through the short axis as clearly shown,whereby the tubular members are greatly reinforced.

In Fig. 3, I have illustrated another form of mymeans for forming ajoint or connection, adapted for use in connection with circular tubingor frame-members 16 and 16. provided with a ferrule 17 having thesemicircular flange 9 similar to the ferrules heretofore referred to inconnection with Figs. 1 and 2; the flange 9 on the ferrule taking intothe semi-circular groove or against the rib or shoulder 9 on the innerfaces of both clamping members 18 and 19. The tubular member 16 is shownwithout a ferrule, but instead, the end of the tube is swaged or shapedso as to provide the rib portion 9", which is shown semi-circular inshape, and which is adapted to take into the semi-circular groovespreferably formed in the clamping members 18 and 19. By thus forming theend of the tubular members, it is evident that the use of a ferrule isobvi ated. The semi-circular grooves or shoulders in the respectiveclamping members are made identical, however, whether a ferrule is usedor an integral flange or'rib portion is provided on the frame-members.

In Fig. 3, I have shown member 18 provided with the extended ear or lobeortion 18, as an exemplification of the difierent forms that may beemployed, and the ,uses to which my improved means may be applied. Themembers 18 and 19 are clamped t9- gether by bolts 20 and 21 in a mannersimilar to that described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

In Figs. 4 and 5,a simple and preferred 7 form of ferrule is shown inorder to more clearly illustrate this portion or feature of v theconnection.

The one frame-member 16 is shown vention that a very-rigid and firmconnection or joint between the respective framemembers may be obtained;and at the same time, a joint is produced which can be easily takenapart when occasion requires. This feature is of great importanceespecially in connection with the construction of aerial craft where themachines are frequently taken apart to be crated for shipment and laterto be reassembled again.

I have illustrated by improved means for forming joints especially foruse in connection with tubular frame-members, but it is readily apparentthat other forms of tubing or frame-members, whether. of wood or metal,of an entirely different shape in cross section, may be secured togetherby my means; and as many frame-members, as occasion requires, may bemade to terminate at the joint, as for example a complete rosetteconstruction of joint may be employed wherein additionalmember-receiving arms or portions extend or radiate from all sides ofthe members 10 and 11, so that a greater number of members may beclamped to gether by the same members.

It will be seen, that with my means, the clamping members or bolts donot pass through the frame-members, but take through the means at pointsintermediate of the respective frame-members. F urthermore, by providingthe two members of the means with the hub or abutting portions toreceive the main bolt, and having the auxiliary bolt take throughabutting web-portions, it permits the respective members of my joint orconnection forming means to be tightly drawn together without a bend orrupture.

I have shown and described several simple forms of my improved meansadapted for use in connection with tubular framemembers, but it isapparent that other forms may to be secured together and provided withflange'or rib engaging portions to prevent longitudinal movement of theparts-joined together, and means taking through the hub portions wherebythe members are secured together.

2. Means for forming joints, comprising a set of corresponding membersprovided with radially extending socket-forming portions whose innerfaces are provided with means adapted to engage with flanged ends offrame members to prevent longitudinal movement of the frame members, andmeans for securing the respective members together, said members beingprovided with abutting surfaces whereby bending of said members isprevented.

3. Means'for forming joints, comprising a pair of correlated membersprovided with corresponding frame-member engaging-portions adapted toengage opposite sides of the frame-members, and intermediate abuttingportions whereby collapsing of the members is prevented, a part of theframe-member engaging-portions being formed to provide a channel orsocket of relatively smaller dimensions than a part of the incasedportion of the frame-members, whereby withdrawal of the frame-members isprevented, and means taking through the intermediate portions wherebythe members are clamped together.

4; Means for forming joints, comprising a pair of correlated membershaving corresponding inner faces to provide two or more socketsconforming to the contour of the frame-members intended to be .securedtogether, and to. provide abutting surfaces whereby collapsing of themembers is prevented, the inner faces of the socket-forming portion ofeach member being provided with a flange or rib engaging shoulder toprevent longitudinal movement of the frame members, and means takingthrough the abutting surfaces for securing the respective memberstogether. 7 a

5. Means for forming joints, comprising a set of members provided withseml-circular corresponding portions whereby sockets are formed for theadjacent endsof the framemembers to be secured together, saidsocketforming portions being provided with grooves, means adapted to besecured to the ends of the frame-members and to take into said socketswhereby longitudinal movement of the frame-members within the sockets isprevented, and means for clamping the members about the frame-members.

' IENRY W. JACOBS.

Witnesses:

FRANK Mlromnn, Davm H. OWEN.

